Latin America’s leading e-commerce platform Linio.com has released the 2017 Beauty Price Index, comparing the cost of several in-demand beauty products and services across 50 countries, including South Africa. The list was ranked by the sum of three categories: beauty services; cosmetics procedures and products. The top scoring country represents where products and services are the most affordable overall.

Linio undertook the research to better understand global economic trends in the multi-billion-beauty industry. The results were calculated by researching the average retail cost, including tax, of several in-demand beauty services, cosmetic procedures and popular beauty products in 50 countries. Product prices were collected from local brick and mortar shops and online retailers, using at least six brands for each product. Beauty service prices were collected using up to five major cities for each country and 10 waxing and nail studios or beauty salons per city.

‘From perfume to pedicures, people want to look and feel good. At Linio, we believe that a little pampering shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. We hope this research inspires people to be smart with their money and use online marketplaces to their advantage,’ says Andreas Mjelde, CEO at Linio.

A look at both ends of the scale

Clustered at the top of the index were several Asian and Latin American countries, with Vietnam as the overall most affordable country for beauty products and services. At the other end of the scale were regions with high costs of living, including Northern Europe, Australia and the USA. Venezuela was found to be the most expensive country overall, due to the country’s inflation crisis and the conversion from the Venezuelan bolívar to the US dollar. Ironically, around 10 years ago, Caracas – Venezuela’s largest city – was home to the highest number of beauty parlours per capita in the world.

‘At Linio, we place a high value on transparency with our customers and hope our index helps people confidently interpret the variations in costs associated with beauty around the world,’ Mjelde adds. ‘Increasingly, the average citizen is a global one, and with a better understanding of global markets comes empowerment to travel, shop and live smarter.’

How South Africa fairs

The results of the Beauty Price Index show South Africa is the third most affordable country. Detailed information about the cost of products, procedures and services in South Africa can be seen in the table below.